


To Be Wed

by Ooblydooblyloops



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Angst, Arranged Marriage AU, Diakko, Dianakko, F/F, Fluff, Forced Marriage, Frandrew, I'll add more as I go, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-03 01:56:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11522109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ooblydooblyloops/pseuds/Ooblydooblyloops
Summary: Diana Cavendish has been arranged to marry Andrew Hanbridge since she was a child, but upon meeting a clumsy girl with intentions to become a witch, something in her changes.





	1. Not To Be

**Author's Note:**

> 1.) This is obviously part of my Arranged Marriage AU.  
> 2.) IF Andrew and Diana ARE related by blood, they obviously are not in this AU.

It was a nice day in autumn, a gentle breeze blowing and the leaves falling to the ground.  A teenage girl, her hair an odd mix of platinum and blonde, stood on the balcony of the manner, staring out at the vast land before her.  Sighing under her breath and closing her porcelain blue eyes, she gripped the railing of the balcony.  The door behind her opened, and she slightly turned her head to see who it was.

There stood a boy, around the same age of her, his brown hair pushed behind his ears and his green eyes examining her figure.  He was well dressed, no surprise there.  After all, the both of them came from powerful and rich families.  Now knowing who disturbed her peace, the girl looked away, back to the view.  “Diana,” he announced, voice sounding a bit stern.

For a moment, Diana hesitated to respond, but then replied, “What is it, Andrew?”

“Our rings have finally been decided on.”

“What will they be?”

“Simple gold rings with engravings on the inside.  You will also be given a diamond ring for the engagement ring.”

“What will the engravings say?”

“‘Bless our love, approved by the gods.’”

Those words made Diana grip the railing even harder, her knuckles turning white.  She _hated_ that saying.  Something she had been told to say ever since she was a child.  But she didn't express her feelings aloud, only nodding once in silence.

Knowing she had nothing left to say, Andrew turned on his heel, going into the room the balcony was directly outside of and closing the door behind him.  On his own side, the boy never really cared for the words, not thinking more than something he had to say.  His father wished for him to say those words, so he would. It was his responsibility to do so, as it was also his responsibility to marry Diana and bring their two families together.

Another gust of wind rushed by, much harder than the light breezes from before.  Diana's waved hair lifted off of her shoulders, fluttering before resting down once again.  She then heard a shout, and voices following after.  Looking down from her position to find the source of the noise, she spotted a few of the manor workers helping a man with his car.

It was none of her business, but with natural curiosity, the blonde girl headed down that way.  Andrew had beaten her there, along was her father, who watched as a worker tried to help the man, whom she presumed owned the vehicle.  Standing beside her fiancé, Diana quietly asked, “What's this?”

“It appears this man has a flat tire,” Andrew whispered to her, adjusting the edges of his shirt within his coat.

Diana watched the scene for a moment, but soon caught glimpse of another person, who revealed themself from the other side of the car.  A girl, probably the same age as her, had a somewhat anxious expression on her face.  “Dad, we can't be late!” She exclaimed.  The man wiped a line of sweat off of his forehead, replying, “This'll only take a second, Akko!  Don't worry!”

Despite his confident words, Akko huffed, annoyed and worried.  One of the maids approached her, offering her to come in for some tea to relax.  She nodded, and followed the old woman into the manor.  After a few more seconds, Diana slipped away from her own position, going off to find them.

They were in the dining area, the Akko girl looking quite disappointed as the maid poured some tea into the porcelain tea cup.  She quietly thanked the woman, who had now taken notice of Diana.  “Lady Diana!” She squealed, shocked at her mistress’ arrival.  “Would you like a cup as well?”

“. . . I suppose,” she answered after a second of thought, and the maid rushed off to get another cup.  With the maid gone, Diana approached, taking a seat beside Akko.  It was silent, and the empty air grew tense.  Although, being the one to have made it that way, Diana decided to speak up.

“So, you broke down near the manner,” she said, voice seemingly cold and calm.  “Quite lucky.  There's not much out here.”

“Ah, yeah!”  Akko replied, quirking up.  “We hit a rock that ended up popping out front left tire!”

“Being out here . . . where are you even headed?”

“Well, I'm heading for Luna Nova!  There's supposed to be a town not too far from the school, so my dad is taking me there!”

Hearing the words, Diana's eyes widened.   _Luna Nova . . ?_ she thought to herself, wondering if Akko spoke of the school she thought it was.  

“You mean . . . the school for witches, correct?”

“Of course!  After all, that's where Shiny Chariot went to school!”

It felt as if her heart had dropped all the way to her stomach.  Swallowing hard, Diana repeated the words in her head.   _Of course!  After all, that's where Shiny Chariot went to school!_  The girl almost scoffed, but held back the urge.  Akko the continued, “By the way, how do you know about Luna Nova?  Do you like Shiny Chariot, too?!”

 _That's_ when Diana scoffed.  “Hardly.  I attended for a semester, but I have no intentions of returning.”  

The response resulted in the brunette puffing out her cheeks, her eyes narrowing and giving her a glare.  Although, Diana merely ignored it, and wondered what was taking the maid so long.  After this short conversation, a cup of tea truly sounded nice.  Akko sipped her own tea, but the taste was rather dull, much too bitter for her liking.

Not being one to mind her own business, Akko blurted out, “Why wouldn't you go back?!  Luna Nova is a great school!”

Naturally, Diana glared right back, knowing this girl had no idea what the school was like, for she had never gone there before.  “I have my own reasons.”

“That's no excuse!  Are you just going to give up?!”

“It doesn't concern you.”

“Well, if you looked up to Shiny Chariot, maybe you'd pick a better choice!”

“If I looked up to a witch like that, I would be an outcast in the witch community.”

Rather fumed now, Akko bit her bottom lip, doing her best to not say something she would regret.  Now that the foolish girl was silent, Diana sighed, feeling a bit stressed.  Well, more stressed than before.  With an angry look, Akko left the dining room, her cup still half full.  

There was a moment of silence, and Diana stood there, alone, doing nothing.  Oddly enough, something told her to follow after the girl, and she didn't hesitate to do so.  She wasn't in the living space, or the main hall, so the blonde presumed she had returned outside.  Once she exited the front doors, the car that had a flat tire not too long ago was starting up.

With wide eyes, Diana was ready to run after and stop them before they could leave, but suddenly stopped herself.  What would the point even be?  She wasn't sure, so she stood there, completely still, watching as the vehicle left the residence.  The workers started to come back inside, along with her father, and Andrew stopped beside her.

“Luckily, the man knew what he was doing,” he said, “so the butler didn't have to dirty his hands.”  There was no response, and he wondered why, but caught glimpse of Diana's expression.  Andrew wasn't sure what emotion she was feeling, but her eyes had a look of emptiness within them.  Deciding to not question it, he went inside.

* * *

 

The room was dimly lit, a single lamp on her desk illuminating the small area.  Diana sat in the chair before said desk, a small, marble box sitting before her.  She slowly opened the lid, and within it was the rare Shiny Chariot card.  Despite all of these years, she still had it.

The memory felt so fresh and new, as if it had only happened the day before.

_“Diana!” Her mother called out, her voice sounding somewhat excited.  To no surprise, the small girl rushed to her mother's bed, blue eyes wide and joyful.  Behind her was her father, who looked upset, yet intrigued.  His wife had allowed their daughter to see that preposterous Shiny Chariot show not too long ago, so whatever she had planned now might be worse._

_Gripping her teddy bear tightly within her arms and practically jumping up and down, Diana asked, “What is it, Mommy?”  With a genuine smile, her mother revealed a marble box, opening the top.  What was inside made Diana gasp with absolute delight.  It was the rare Shiny Chariot card, brand new and elegantly shimmering._

_Carefully taking the box from her mother's hands, Diana stared in awe, then set it aside so she could hug her mother.  “Thank you, Mommy!” she exclaimed, then went off to put the card in a safe place._

Even now, Diana wondered how her mother had gotten ahold of the card.  The woman was stuck in bed, and she imagined her father would prohibit a worker from even leaving the house.  It didn't matter, though.  She had it now, and that's what mattered.

Standing up and approaching her bedroom’s window, Diana looked up at the moon, and thought about the girl from before.  A girl going to Luna Nova, who looked up to Shiny Chariot . . . in all honesty, Diana felt sympathy.  The poor girl would be ridiculed for such a thing.  While attending Luna Nova herself, she made sure to keep quiet about her secret admiration of the former star.

Although, now that at actually thought about it, the girl didn't seem to be of witch blood.  If she was, she probably could have just ridden a broom to the town with the terminal rather than bothering to get a ride there.  Sighing, she attempted to stop thinking about it.  Whatever happened to the girl was none of her business.

_Are you just going to give up?!_

Diana had to.  That girl would never understand why.  

* * *

 

“You met another witch?” Lotte asked, turning the page of her book.  “And she said she wasn't going to return to Luna Nova?”

“Yeah!”  Akko responded, crossing her arms and gritting her teeth.

“That's odd, but who could blame her?” Sucy then butted in.  “After all, you're attending.”

“Sucy!” Lotte shouted, and the poison lover snickered.  “But . . . that sounds a lot like Diana Cavendish.”

“Diana . . . Cavendish?” Akko questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah.  She was a super smart and talented witch, but because of personal reasons, she decided not to return for another semester, or any longer.”

 _Personal reasons . . ._ the clumsy girl wondered, scratching the back of her head.  Then again, Diana did seem to be hiding whatever reason she refused to return.  That only made Akko angrier, and an started giving her pillow a pouding.  It didn't make a lick of sense!

Glancing at the Shiny Chariot poster she had taken the time to hang, she wondered what could possibly make anybody resist going to Luna Nova.  In fact, she wondered why that Diana had decided to diss on Shiny Chariot.  Akko then casually resumed her punches, and Lotte sighed.

“Why don't we head to bed and try forgetting about it?” She asked, a yawn following after.  Seeing the Finnish witch had a point, Akko nodded her head furiously, and Sucy stopped working on her potion.  The light was then clicked off, and the three slept peacefully, the next day awaiting them.


	2. Out On The Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana and Andrew are set up on a date and go to town to spend some time together. Meanwhile, the students of Luna Nova go to town for the first time after arriving at school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A somewhat slow chapter, but I don't want to rush things. After all, they're supposed to fall in love!  
> (also it's like 2am and i rushed this, aha)

Three light taps could be heard from within Diana's bedroom, and her eyes opened up, body sitting up on instinct.  It was fairly early, as usual, and the sun had probably risen only an hour ago.  Without a warning, the person responsible for the knocking walked in, coming to view.  His slicked back, black hair and hazel eyes were unmistakable, and he wore a sharp suit, just to be an eye-catcher.

“Father,” she said aloud, sliding out from beneath her bed covers.  Mr. Cavendish blinked once, then cleared his throat, as if he was upset.  Although, his daughter was unsure why, but knew he would make it very obvious soon enough.

“Did you talk to the daughter of that man who stopped in front of our house a few days ago?” he asked, stern and somewhat annoyed.

“Yes, I did,” Diana answered honestly, going through her wardrobe.

“Why?”

“She was invited inside.  It would be rude not to.”

He sneered.  “They were headed for Luna Nova.  You know we don't take kindly to people from that residence.”

The words made the girl grip the shirt she held quite tightly, but she ignored his words, pushing the shirt aside.  Behind her, Mr. Cavendish tapped his foot quietly, waiting for some sort of response.  Such behaviour from his daughter was unacceptable.  Seeing that she couldn't escape, she finally replied, “I wasn't aware.  I apologise, Father.”

Her response was satisfactory, and the man headed for the door so he could leave his daughter to get changed.  Upon reaching it and opening, he glanced back at her, and said, “Andrew is coming over today, so make sure you dress accordingly.”  Although she saw no reason to dress especially for Andrew, Diana nodded once, and he slipped away.

It hadn’t been the first time Diana lied to her father.  After the death of her mother, he had become even more cruel and rude than before.  At least she was lucky enough to say that he hadn’t gone as far as hitting her or any sort of abuse.  Unfortunately, they never did get along too well.

The black car pulled in before the doors, and one of the manor workers opened the back door.  Out stepped Andrew, the only one emerging from the vehicle.  His father had not tagged along today, for he said he wanted the two “lovers” to spend the day together.  He didn’t have anything in mind, so he presumed that they would go to town.

Standing in the first room, he adjusted his shirt sleeve under his jacket sleeve, sighing under his breath.  In all honesty, he didn’t want to be here today.  He and Frank had plans to go see some new movie the blonde was giddy about, but his father announced Andrew was to be with Diana today.  The look on Frank’s face made Andrew shrink in a bit, guilt eating at him.

A voice then broke his thoughts, “Sorry I took so long.”  Looking up from the floor, emerald green eyes landed on the owner of said voice.  Diana was wearing a simple white skirt and top, a light blue jacket overlaying it.  Compared to Andrew, she looked so plain, but somehow, elegant.

“It’s alright,” he said, waiting for her to come down the stairs and take his arm.  She did just so, and he led them outside, back into the vehicle from before.  The driver barely turned his head towards them, asking, “Where to?”

“. . . To the nearby town."

* * *

 

“Alright, students, I’ll need a possession from each of you,” Headmistress Holbrooke said, and the students began to place their items into the cauldron.  Sighing under her breath, Akko dropped the Shiny Chariot card in, and backed away.  She knew it was necessary, but she hated to be departed from it.  Although, that was the whole purpose.

The leyline opened, and Akko hopped on the back of Lotte’s broom, still not able to fly her own.  They went on in, and minutes later, arrived within the city.  Lotte, being super organised and ready for their day on the town, pulled out a folded up piece of paper.  As she began to read off of it, Akko groaned, saying, “I’m just gonna go off on my own.  There are things I need to do, anyway.”

“But Akko-”

“I’ll catch up with you guys later!”

And like that, the brunette was gone, leaving her partners behind, in the dust.  It was no surprise, and neither of them could stop her.  

“That’s a nice looking ring,” Andrew said as they stood outside of the jewelry shop.  A four carat diamond ring.  Despite her fiance complementing it, Diana didn’t say anything.  She didn’t want it, but it was more of a situation that she didn’t need it.  Most girls would probably beg their lover for such a thing.  Of course, Diana wasn’t most girls.

Frowning from the lack of a reaction, the brown haired male cleared his throat.  Her attention was grasped, but earned nothing more than a glance.  Andrew sighed, knowing that he wasn’t going to gain anything this way.  Diana rolled her eyes, and said, “Unless we’re around our parents, you don’t have to keep up this act.”  

His green eyes scanned her form while she stayed concentrated on the window of the jewelry shop.  After all, she did have a point.  He must’ve just been used to acting head over heels while around their parents.  They didn’t even have time alone like this very much.

“If you’re done pretending to be my starstruck lover, I have somewhere to be,” the witch announced, and turned on her heel, walking the other way.  Although he was quite curious where she was off to, considering she had never mentioned needing to do anything before, he figured he might as well do something on his own.  Pulling a cellphone from his pocket, he dialed a number, and waited for somebody to pick up on the other line.

Eventually, there was a faint, “Hello?”  A smile stretched upon Andrew’s face.

“Hey, Frank?  I’m in town today.”

“Ah, really?!”

“Yeah.  We could finally go see that movie you kept talking about.”

“Sweet!  I’ll meet you in the town square!”

With that, the call ended, and Andrew pulled the phone away from his ear.  Staring at the now black screen, he gripped the phone a bit tighter.  For the first time in awhile, he felt genuine happiness.  Not worrying whether Diana would attempt to find him or not, the heir went on his merry way.

It was a weekday, but despite that, the town streets were still filled with people.  That didn’t stop Akko from running past them all, not caring whether she bumped into them or not.  She had her own place to be, and hoped she arrived there before anybody else.  Eventually, she bursted through a door, where an old man stood behind a desk, smiling.

Mouth gaping open with surprise and joy, it seemed that she had made it.  Although, soon after, red eyes landed on another figure standing there, a girl with blonde hair mixed with platinum.  All hope seemed lost, but surprise turned to shock as the girl turned around, being revealed to be the girl from the house she broke down in front of.  They both stared at each other, unable to speak, mouths hanging open.

The man behind the desk then spoke at Diana, “Ma’am, are you still wishing to see the-”

“No,” she abruptly said, and quickly walked away from where she stood, pass Akko.  Their shoulders barely tapped and their eyes met for a split second, but Diana was long out the door after that.  For a moment, Akko wanted to stop her, ask her what she was doing here, especially if the ad she read was correct.  Despite the gut wrenching feeling to do so, the brunette witch decided against it, and continued towards the front desk.

Once outside, the heiress hurried along, looking around for a place to hide.  She soon found an empty alleyway where she could stay out of sight, and went down it.  As soon as she felt as if nobody could see her from either sides, she let her back hit the brick wall behind her, body slowly sliding down it.  Her face was soon cupped in her hands, face burning red.

It was obvious why that girl was there, for the Shiny Chariot merchandise the man claimed to sell on an leyline ad.  The only place that would still sell something like that.  Thoughts rushed through her mind, heart beating loudly in her chest and her palms slick with sweat.  Had the girl realised why she was there?  Or was it a pure coincidence?

No, there was no way that girl knew why Diana was there.  The shop sold much more than just that advertised merchandise.  Doing her best to calm down, she slowly took deep breaths, and checked her pulse.  Not normal, but at least it wasn’t as fast as seconds ago.

Feeling much better, the blonde swept off the dust from the back of her skirt and jacket, straightening her posture.  Now that she was calmed down, she might as well go off to find Andrew.  There was nothing else she had planned, and hopefully, he hadn’t gone off too far.

“Do you think I’m an idiot?!” Akko exclaimed, slapping the “rare” Shiny Chariot card down on the desk.  The man slightly jumped back, obviously nervous.  “You said this is the real thing!  But it’s just a fake!”  Luckily, they were the only two in the shop, so there was no crowd to see the scene, but the man still felt shaken up.

“I-It is, I swear to you-”

“It is _not_!  The material is too flimsy!  And everything else you showed me, too!  All cheap knock-offs!  You call yourself a business man!”

With a huff, Akko grabbed her presented Euro from the countertop, and left, quite annoyed with the whole situation.  He had said this was real merchandise from Shiny Chariot’s golden ages, but Akko knew better.  A _true_ Shiny Chariot fan could tell the difference between the real merch and fakes!  Far from the shop by now, a sad sigh left her parted lips.

She had be hoping that she could get ahold of some of the things her parents couldn’t afford for her while she was a child.  Her thoughts then went to the girl from before, wondering if she was there for the merchandise as well.  A sarcastic laugh followed, the brunette mumbling, “She would never . . .”

There was always a slim possibility.  After all, she didn’t even think she’d ever see that blonde witch ever again.  What was her name?  Diana . . . Cavendish?  Something like that.   _Super talented witch,_ Akko thought, remembering what Lotte had said the night they arrived on campus.   _I still don’t understand why she left . . ._  That’s when she happened to bump into Sucy, who was examining some mushrooms at a stand.

Diana could’ve sworn she had looked _everywhere_ for that false Prince Charming, but was unable to find him.  Already exhausted from walking around so much in hopes that Andrew would appear, the witch sat down on the edge of the fountain, placing her chin in the palm of her left hand, elbow resting on her legs.  She could just head back home, for he had probably already gone home as well.  That’s when two familiar voices called out, resulting in Diana’s head perking up.

“Diana!” They shouted in unison, and she saw two familiar girls, nearly smiling from the sight.

“Hannah.  Barbara.  What’re you two doing here?” She asked, the witches stopping and holding their brooms proudly.

“All the students came into town today!” Barbara answered, smiling cheerfully.

_All of the students, huh . . ._ Diana thought, now having an explanation as to why that girl was in town in the first place.

“We didn’t expect to see you here!” Hannah followed up, and Diana blew out a soft breath.

“I’m . . . on a date with Andrew.”

“Andrew?!”  At the sound of the boy’s name, both nearly fell over from shock and ecstasy to know he might arrive in their presence.  Nodding once in confirmation, Diana watched as her two friends squealed in delight, holding hands and kicking their feet.  It was true, he was quite dashing in the looks department, but he wasn’t as great as they thought.  If only they knew.

Although, much to Diana’s surprise, the girls changed the subject quickly.  

“By the way . . .” Hannah started, her voice becoming somewhat snarky.

“There’s this new girl at Luna Nova,” Barbara continued, beginning to snicker.

“She’s not even of witch blood!” Hannah added.

“ _And_ , she’s a Shiny Chariot fan!”  Barbara finished.  The two then began to laugh hysterically, thinking that the simple fact was so amusing.  Those words rang in Diana’s ear, and she knew that only one person in all of Luna Nova would be that way.  

“Hannah, Barbara,” she said, voice seeming somewhat dark, scaring both out of their skin.  Glancing at each other, then back to Diana, they answered together, “Y-Y-Yes?”  

“Tell me more about this . . . new girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates every Sunday!


	3. All About Akko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana is intrigued by the clumsy witch she keeps seeing, and hopes to find out more about her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, and slightly rushed. Wish I would've taken more time on it.

Atsuko Kagari.  Reckless, childish, short-tempered.  Only a few words that were used to describe this mess of a witch.  Hannah and Barbara were telling Diana about every detail they knew, but from what the blonde could tell, it was all from a negative point of view.  It was only natural, though, considering the way the two girls thought. 

Somehow, Diana was able to pick out positives, even though it seemed as if none were being presented.  Akko (a nickname they mentioned) was too ignorant to give up, but it only showed she was greatly determined.  She kept failing, but tried again and again in a hopeless attempt, proving she wasn't quick to give up.  Her methods were completely flawed, meaning she just had her own way of doing things. 

Hearing all about this stranger from her two best friends felt a bit weird, especially when her thoughts contradicted what they said.  It was just something Diana couldn't help, and she felt curious enough to ask.  After all, they had two very coincidental meetings, and if it had only happened once, she more than likely would've forgotten about Akko.  Sighing quietly, she ran her left hand through her hair, and continued to listen in on the conversation. 

“Diana!” A voice called out, and somewhat distracted, Diana couldn't tell who it belonged to.  Her heart jumped in her chest a little, hoping it was Akko, and a bit too excitedly, she looked to see who it belonged to.  The usual disappointed crossed her face when she saw Andrew approaching, a familiar blonde boy following behind.  Both Hannah and Barbara squealed, nearly falling back into the fountain.

Standing up and clearing her throat, Diana replied calmly, “Andrew. And Frank.”

“Hi!” Frank cheerfully said back, waving.

As they stood before her, Diana noticed Andrew was actually smiling a bit, standing there with an aura of happiness around him.  She did her best not to question it, not wanting to ruin the mood he was in.  It was rare to see him like this.  

“Will we be heading back to the manor soon?” the heiress asked.

Andrew shook his head ‘no.’  “Not yet.  There’s something Frank wants to show me.”

“You should come, too, Diana!  It’s really cool!”

Whatever Frank thought was “super cool” might be the opposite for Diana, but she had nothing better to do, so she might as well.  Barbara and Hannah finally arose from the fountain, their attire soaked in water.  Both frantically whined, and Diana sighed quietly, knowing this was natural as a reaction.  Waving her hand to Andrew and Frank to signal she would only be a moment, the two started to talk as she approached her two friends.

“Hannah, Barbara,” she said aloud, catching their attention.  Both looked over at her, their bickering coming to a sudden stop, all ears for whatever Diana had to say.  Taking a deep breath, the blonde resumed, “I want you to come over later and tell me more about Akko.  Like, how she does in class and such.”

“Uh, sure . . . but why?” Barbara inquired, quite confused by why Diana would want to know such a thing.  Hannah nodded after, wondering the same thing.

“You said she’s a clumsy witch, correct?” Diana asked, raising an eyebrow.  “It’s rare for witches that don’t take their education seriously to arrive at Luna Nova.  Even if I no longer attend, I still wish to know how some students are handling themselves.”

“Ah, makes sense!  We can do that!”  Hannah said, and with that confirmed, Diana gave a wave, heading over to the boys.  It had been a little lie, yet, they still fell for it.  Not surprising, really, some things just completely flew over their heads.  In actuality, the witch heiress was interested in Akko.  For some reason, the brunette had managed to grasp her attention.

Now accompanied by Diana, Frank lead the way to whatever he wished to show the two “lovers,” looking quite excited as he did.  Leaning over to Andrew, she whispered, “What is he showing us?”

“I’m not sure,” he whispered back, “he didn’t tell me yet.”  Even though he was clueless on what it was, Andrew still seemed upbeat, which confused Diana.  It somewhat made sense, though, since the two of them had been friends for quite awhile.  They then came upon an area where four pointed rocks stuck from the ground, almost resembling claws.  Andrew looked a bit confused, but Diana knew exactly where they were.

They walked closer to it, and Frank seemed excited just by looking at it.  Diana wondered if he had some sort of interest in magic that he had never shown before.  Although, she didn’t hang out with him often, so it would be logical if she didn’t know such a thing.  “This is-”

“Jennifer the Witch’s Sealing Stone,” Diana interrupted, walking up to the stand with some information scribbled onto it.  “A rock giant lies below, resting.  It’ll only awaken if disturbed by some outside force.”

“Isn’t it amazing?!” Frank exclaimed, standing by Diana and reading from the plaque as well.  Andrew followed after, wondering how long it had been here.  He hadn’t paid much attention to it before, but it wasn’t as if he should care.  But, despite feeling that way, Frank seemed pretty invested in it.  A small smile found its way to the brunette’s face, and he replied, “Quite.  To think something like that would be under here.”

Catching onto what he said, Diana knew Andrew had no care for magic or its history, so wondered why he suddenly showed an interest.  Perhaps it was because of Frank . . ?  The more and more she saw them interact, the more suspicious she grew.  It shouldn’t really matter, though.   _ If  _ Andrew were to have some sort of deep feelings towards the blonde boy, neither could escape their predetermined marriage.  As unfair as it was.

“Here it is!” A familiar voice called out, and Diana turned her head, a gut feeling already telling her who it was.   _ Akko _ .  Before she could convince the boys to leave, both noticed the approaching girl, along with two others following behind her.  Frank then waved at them, shouting, “Yo!”  That made Diana’s heart drop to her stomach, now knowing there was no way the girls would miss them.  

All three looked over to the smiling boy who was still waving.  Akko cheerfully waved back, jogging over.  Before she was able to say anything, she noticed Diana, who was looking the opposite way with her arms crossed.  Tension began to rise, and everybody in the area could feel it.  “Akko,” Diana said, finally facing the fellow witch.

“D-Diana,” Akko stuttered, trying to look as confident as she possibly could.  For a few more moments, it was quiet, the only noise coming from the background of the town.  Blue eyes locked with red ones, and almost a second after, Diana turned on her heel, heading the other way.  Both boys excused themselves and went after their friend.

Akko stood there, face tinted red, palms sweaty, and her heart pounding within her chest.  Placing a hand over her heart, she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.   _ Inhale, exhale.  Inhale, exhale.   _ Just having her name said by the blonde was able to make her feel all clammy . . . wait.  She hadn’t told Diana her name . . . how had she found it out?

As she walked, Diana could hear the boys calling after her.  “Diana!” Frank shouted, and she came to a stop, allowing them to catch up.  “What was that about?”

“It was nothing.  I just think we should head back now,” Diana lied, sighing.

Andrew nodded in agreement.  

* * *

 

“Welcome home,” Mr. Cavendish greeted, smiling at his daughter.  She had just entered the front door, and he was waiting there, as if he expected her to head home around this time.  His smile seemed forced, which was normal.  Diana didn’t say anything in return, heading for the dining room, where she presumed dinner was prepared, or at least in the process of.  Upon entering, it was completely empty, resulting in her eyes widening.

A hand then landed on her shoulder, fingers gently gripping.  Looking up, she saw her father, who was still wearing the same, forced smile.  “Sorry, you came home a bit late, so we presumed you wouldn’t be eating here,” he told her.  It felt as if he had been lying, which would be a probable thing.  “Now, Diana . . .”  His words brought a chill up her neck, and his grip tightened on her shoulder, slightly pain being brought along.  “Why didn’t you and Andrew spend the day together?”

The words hit her like a smack to the back of the head, and she struggled to say something in return.  For a moment, she was confused, but it soon bubbled into rage, resulting in her slapping his hand away from her shoulder.  “You were  _ watching  _ me?!” She shouted, fists clenching.  His posture remained the same, which only made her more angry with him.  

“I wasn’t,” he replied, “but I paid somebody else to do it.” 

“Why?!”

“I need to make sure my daughter and the future head of the family are getting along.”

“That doesn’t mean you can stalk me!”

They stared each other down, and not wanting to hear anymore of what he had to say, Diana pushed past Mr. Cavendish, quickly heading to her room.  Locking the door behind her to keep him out, she rested her head against it, sighing.  To think she was safe from his judgement for just one day . . . What a joke.

Walking over to the window, she called over an owl, and quickly wrote something down on a scroll of paper.  Once finished, she gently tied it around the owl’s leg, and sent it off to Luna Nova.  She would have the girls come over on their next day off to tell her more about Akko.  For some reason, just thinking of the brunette brought her comfort.

* * *

 

The red team rested in their room, Lotte and Sucy sleeping away on their beds.  Although, Akko sat in her own, arms resting behind her head as she stared at the bunk above.  She couldn’t sleep, her mind filled with thoughts she couldn’t completely process.  Most of them had to do with Diana.

It angered her that she was sitting here, wide awake, all because of a girl she’s bumped into a few times.  Although, something about Diana just brought her this warmth and feeling of calmness she couldn’t shake off.  Deep down, even though she tried all her best to deny it, Akko wanted to get to know Diana more.  But it would be a bit odd if she suddenly showed up at her door or tried to arrange a meeting.

There was another thing she couldn’t get off of her mind.  That brown haired guy she kept seeing Diana with.  He had been with her when they met at the manor, and she remembered seeing them together at the sealing stone today.  Was that . . . her lover?  Probably.

Why did it matter if it was her lover, anyway?  Akko shouldn’t care.  She didn’t even know that much about Diana.  Turning on her side, she sighed under her breath, and glancing at her Shiny Chariot poster.   _ What would Chariot have done in a situation like this . . ?  _ She wondered, and closed her eyes.

Before drifting off to sleep, the girl made up her mind.  She would go see Diana as soon as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates every Sunday!

**Author's Note:**

> Updates every Sunday!  
> EDIT : "manner" has been changed to "manor". Thanks for pointing out that mistake!


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